Magic: The Gathering’s Damage Change is History Repeating Itself

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Key Takeaways

  • Magic: The Gathering is transitioning to a new set called Foundations to streamline the game and simplify entry for new players.
  • Combat changes in Foundations now allow players to declare damage during the combat damage step, removing a step from combat.
  • Returning to pre-M10 roots benefits aggro decks but makes combat tricks more challenging for all players in Magic: The Gathering.

As a seasoned Magic: The Gathering player who has witnessed the evolution of this game since the days of Alpha and Beta sets, I must say that the upcoming Foundations set is both exciting and daunting. The streamlined approach to the game’s mechanics and simplification for new players is commendable, but the changes to combat could prove to be a double-edged sword.

Wizards of the Coast has unveiled additional information and several cards from the upcoming “Magic: The Gathering” Foundations set, which will serve as a foundation for all future Standard and other formats until at least 2029. This marks a significant shift for WotC, as the game is transitioning from its current yearly release of four “Magic Multiverse” sets to instead producing three main “MTG” sets and three Universes Beyond sets that will remain Standard-legal. Moreover, Foundations will make it easier for new players to join “Magic: The Gathering,” simplifying some challenging aspects of the game. However, a potential adjustment to combat mechanics could prove to be a double-edged sword.

In the game of Magic: The Gathering, combat involves several key stages, similar to other parts of a player’s turn, and announcing each action is essential whether you’re attacking or defending. Since Sorcery spells can’t be cast during combat, it’s typically when Instants come into play – whether from the attacker or defender. This often involves removal spells, flash creatures, spells that boost non-dying creatures, and counteractions for various card types. However, Foundations is about to revolutionize this with a significant change.

Why Magic: The Gathering’s Combat Change May Fly Under Players’ Radar

MTG: Damage Distribution in Foundations Explained

In the ongoing combat phase, players must distribute the damage caused by attacking units to the defending units. This can be done by dealing fatal damage to one unit at a time. For instance, if a player attacks with a 3/3 unit and the defender puts up three 1/1 tokens for defense, the attacker would assign 1 point of damage to each token. However, the defender has the option to enhance their creatures using a Magic: The Gathering card that provides at least +1/+1, thereby eliminating the attacking unit without incurring any losses afterwards.

With the introduction of Magic: The Gathering’s Foundations set, the gameplay style reverts to a format similar to that prior to M10, allowing players more opportunities for strategic concealment when planning their moves, as they no longer need to follow extra steps to assign damage. In Foundations, players can specify which enemy creatures they intend to harm during the combat damage step itself. Though it might initially appear perplexing, this modification simplifies combat and adds another layer of strategy by eliminating a step from the process.

Combat phases in Magic: The Gathering have the following steps:

  • Beginning of Combat Step
  • Declare Attackers Step
  • Declare Blockers Step
  • Combat Damage Step
  • End of Combat Step

Why MTG Returning to Its Pre-M10 Roots is Bad News For Combat Tricks

Just as in previous games, following the Foundations phase, if the defensive player decides to cast spells to weaken enemy creatures or boost blockers, this takes place prior to assigning damage. This allows attackers to always know what they’re facing, whether it’s advantageous or not. While this might seem like an advantage for aggressive decks in Magic: The Gathering, it also means that both players will encounter challenges with combat tricks, which have arguably become more complex. Moreover, the second main phase becomes even more crucial.

In Magic: The Gathering’s latest update, Foundations, the way damage is distributed during combat could see a significant shift. This alteration might not catch players’ attention immediately, but they will certainly feel its impact when they need to manage it effectively. For instance, an attacking player may choose to inflict just enough harm on each blocking creature, avoiding their elimination if they are too robust or too numerous. The player could then opt to use Toxic Deluge later to clear the board instead. Similarly, a 3/3 attacking creature facing three 1/1 tokens, each boosted by an instant, would no longer leave the defending player unscathed. Instead, the attacking player can now assign 2 damage to one token and kill it, avoiding the death of all blocking creatures.

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2024-10-28 00:53